This invention relates to thrust nozzles for rockets, and particularly to those using spike nozzle members and having the capability of altering the direction of thrust of a rocket and also its magnitude. The invention herein described was made in the course of or under a contract with the U.S. Air Force.
Spike nozzles for rockets have a number of advantages over the conventional, convergent-divergent type of thrust nozzle. In general, they can be made more compact in an axial direction, and are more efficient over a greater range of altitude. However, there has been no satisfactory means for making spike nozzles that are capable of controlling both the direction and magnitude of the thrust vector of the rocket. Also, there have been no means for protecting such nozzles from excessive heat and pressure imparted thereto by the propulsive gases of the rocket.